Verse narratives

The books recommended below were published within the last several years. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.

PICTURE BOOKS
Suggested grade level for all entries: K-3

The Great Migration: Journey to the Northwritten by Eloise Greenfield; illus. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist (HarperCollins/Amistad)
Poignant poems (accompanied by collage illustrations of cut paper, ephemera, paint, and photographs) relate the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the cities of the North. 32 pages.

Never Forgottenwrittenby Patricia C. McKissack; illus. by Leo and Diane Dillon (Random/Schwartz & Wade)
The four Mother Elements travel from 1725 Mali to South Carolina, where missing boy Mustafa has been enslaved. The rousing illustrations—bold, complex, and lucid—impart dramatic conviction. 48 pages.

Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haikuwritten by Lee Wardlaw; illus. by Eugene Yelchin (Holt)In a series of haiku (technically “senryu”), a cat narrates the story of his adoption from a shelter and his new life. Graphite and gouache pictures match the poems’ sensitivity and humor. 40 pages.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose (Random/Schwartz & Wade)
On a Kansas prairie homestead, May is snowed in, unable to send for help. A close-up lens and a fine sense of rhythm relate the tense plot of dwindling supplies, lurking wolves, and claustrophobia. Grade level: 3-6. 240pages.

Black Jack: The Ballad of Jack Johnsonby Charles R. Smith, Jr.; illus. by Shane W. Evans (Roaring Brook/Porter)
This heavyweight’s quest to be champion was hampered by white title-holders; his persistence was eventually rewarded. Quotes of the time and oil paintings complement the ballad-style narrative. Grade level: 4-6. 40 pages.

OLDER FICTION
Suggested grade level listed with each entry.

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s Journey to Cubaby Margarita Engle (Holt)
Based upon feminist Fredrika Bremer’s interviews of Cuban slaves, free blacks, and poor whites, this vibrant narrative offers the perspectives of a young slave mentioned in her accounts and a (fictional) slave-owner’s daughter. 151 pages.

Karmaby Cathy Ostlere (Penguin/Razorbill)
Maya’s Sikh father hides from vengeful mobs after Sikh extremists assassinate the Indian prime minister. Alone in an unfamiliar place, Maya befriends teenage boy Sandeep. A haunting exploration of what it means to be an outsider. 521 pages.

The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices from The Titanicby Allan Wolf (Candlewick)
First-person accounts give voice to a cross section of Titanic passengers and crew. Hovering over all is the omniscient “Iceberg,” providing a menacing voiceover throughout the narrative. 467 pages.

Diego: Bigger than Lifeby Carmen T. Bernier-Grand; illus. by David Diaz (Cavendish)
Free verse relates the childhood of painter Diego Rivera, then highlights the passions of his adult life. These vignettes are accompanied by vibrant mixed-media silhouettes and Rivera’s own art. 64 pages.

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[…] honor of National Poetry Month and Poem in Your Pocket Day, we’ve put together a booklist of verse narratives across audience age and genre. Want a historical fiction verse novel or a picture book in poems? […]